Improvement in preserving wood



' G. PALMER.

Preserving Wood.

Patented Aug. 1, 1865.

fnrrenfor:

asses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRESERVING wooo, 84c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 19,l46, dated August 1,1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE PALMER, of Littlestown, in the county ofAdams, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new anduseful mode of opening thepores, extracting the gas, and saturatingtimber for preserving it and the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specifieation,in which- Figure 1 shows asection (bored through) of a pump-log cut in halt" longitudinally, withthe apparatus for heating, opening the pores, and extracting the dampand gas from the timber in the bore or cavity preparatory to saturating.Fig. 2 represents a top view of a double fire-box and trough forpreparing the outer surface of pump-logs or other timber-the sameprocess of saturating. Fig. 3 shows a side view of a fire-box on wheelsfor passing over or under any surface of timber to prepare it for theprocess. Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of a trough for saturatingtimber. Fig. 5 is a top view of a long trough for the same purpose.

The object of my invention is to preserve the timber used in exposedplaces from decay and to prevent the pernicious effects and the badtaste of Water from decayed wood in log pumps and curbs in wells, &c. p

My invention consists in the apparatus and manner of heating the innersurface of pump logs and the outer surface of timber, of any form anddimensions, sufiiciently to open the pores and draw out the gaseoussubstance, dry the sap or moisture to such a degree that resinous, oily,or bituminous substances can be applied hot to the heated wood andpenetrate it to its fullest capacity without being repelled by the gasor steam generated within.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my apparatus and toproduce such results, I will describe it and the process of using morefully, referring to the drawings and to the letters marked thereon.

For the purpose of preparing timber bored through longitudinally forpumps or for waterpipes, I have a sheet-iron cylinder or pipe (A)furnace, supported atbot-h ends on rollers a an ac, two of them beingplaced at right angles with theother two,they and thepipe-furnaceAbeingof it.

erate the steam and gas from the timber, which will pass out of bothends. When this process of heating the inside is going on the outersurface may also be undergoing the same process by having the timber Bplaced in the trough O of the double fire-box D D, as seen in Fig. 2,where it can be turned over so as to get a uniform heat entirely throughthe timher, and all of the gas and dampness dried out When the timber isthus thoroughly heated the pores of the wood may be saturated andentirely filled with any oily, resinous, or bituminous substance appliedhot to the heated timber by immersing it in a trough, E, made ofboiler-iron, under which a fire can be built, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5,or the saturating substance may be applied with swabs with very goodsuccess, as there is no steam or gas to repel its entrance into everypore.

If desirable to saturate any considerable sized fixed surface, liketheroot of a building the deck of a vessel, orjt ides oftheli a fire-box,F, placed onpwh ls ffliso th may be passed over very near ndheatttnsurface without charring; or urningfita a then immediately applyingsuhstancewh is impervious to water. H I may be made of tonguedand M andone that will be tight and d out any other covering; and so for theoutside of farm -buildings generally, as well as fence posts and railsor paling. This process may be applied to timber for all of the variouspurposes, such as railroad cross-ties and stringpieces, bridge-timbers,flumes aqueducts cisterns, and reservoirs, wa teleg, poles, and postsfor all Thus it will be seen th apparatus as above deslc lay timber forvarious; 1 po to last five times as long as it will when used in thecommon way, and all of the bad taste in water and the pernicious effectsof decayed wood in and about Wells and cisterns may be entirelyremedied.

wood and extract the sap and gaseous matter, as herein described, forthe purposes specified. 2. Opening the pores of timber by applying heat,in the manner herein described, so that oily, resinous, or bituminoussubstances will penetrate the wood to its fullest capacity.

GEORGE PALMER.

Witnesses:

J. B. WOODRUFF, E. R. MORRISON.

